La Política Colombiana

Via WaPo we have a discussion of transition that Fernando Araújo took from kidnap victim of the FARC to Colombia’s foreign minister: The Short Road From Hostage to Envoy .

To put the time that he was in captivity:

Araújo might seem an odd choice for the post. He’s missed key events in recent world history, from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. He was in guerrilla hands as President Hugo Chávez consolidated power in neighboring Venezuela and when Uribe rose to power.

h/t: Boz

Technorati Tags: FARC, Araujo, Colombia, Colombian politics

Via the BBC: Colombia’s ex-spy chief charged

Colombia’s former intelligence chief has been arrested and charged with murder and collaborating with right-wing militias.

Jorge Noguera, head of the Administrative Security Department (DAS), resigned in October but has denied any wrongdoing.

Eight members of President Alvaro Uribe’s coalition have been jailed for supporting drug-running militias.

I am still in the process trying to absorb the “parapolitica” situation. My early reaction is that this is the kind of thing that is simultaneously good and bad. Bad for obvious reasons, given the seriousness of the charges. The good part is that the justice system is rooting out, and arresting, high level members of the government for serious human rights violations.

Via the BBC: Ex-hostage is Colombia minister

Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe has named Fernando Araujo as foreign minister, weeks after he escaped from six years’ captivity in rebel hands.

He was held hostage by the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) until he fled last month.

Mr Araujo, 51, served as a minister in a previous Colombian administration.

He will replace Maria Consuelo Araujo - no relation - who resigned after her brother was arrested on suspicion of links with paramilitaries

Regarding the ministerial vacancy:

Earlier on Monday, Maria Consuelo Araujo stepped down as foreign minister after the arrest of her brother - also named Araujo.

Alvaro Araujo, a senator, became the highest-ranked politician arrested on suspicion of links with paramilitary groups.

Ms Araujo’s father is also being investigated for alleged paramilitary links.

Here’s some biographical info via El Tiempo (Con el nombramiento de Fernando Araújo Perdomo en la Cancillería, Uribe le apuesta a un símbolo):

El nuevo canciller tiene 51 años, es ingeniero civil de la Universidad Javeriana y es una nueva carta en el Gobierno para los conservadores. Antes de su designación, sonó como posible alcalde de Cartagena y sus copartidarios lo postularon como Comisionado de Paz.

If anything, it is a most remarkable turn-around to go from kidnap victim for multiple years to foreign minister in a few weeks!

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Via the BBC: Colombian politician is arrested

The brother of Colombias foreign minister has been arrested on suspicion of ties with paramilitaries involved in the countrys drug trade.

Senator Alvaro Araujo is the highest ranking politician to be arrested as part of the investigation.

Further warrants have been issued for five other lawmakers allied to President Alvaro Uribe.

Three other lawmakers were jailed in November for links to paramilitaries fighting leftwing rebel groups.

The penetration of electoral politics by violent actors is hardly a shock. The real question is how far these investigations will go and to what degree it will possible to excise some connections from electoral politics.

At a minimum we can hope that this is the case:

Analysts say that the arrests are encouraging as they show increasing transparency in Colombian politics.

“Everyone knew the paramilitaries had infiltrated Congress,” said Pablo Casas of Colombian think-tank Security and Democracy.

“The good news is that the justice system is showing a certain level of independence.”

Via Bloomberg: Colombia’s Carrasquilla Submitted His Resignation, People Say

Colombia’s Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla, who helped slash the budget deficit and foreign debt, handed President Alvaro Uribe his resignation on Jan. 24 citing personal reasons, people familiar with his decision said.

Carrasquilla, 47, stepped up to the post from deputy finance minister in June 2024, previously serving as a senior economist at the Inter-American Development Bank. He has headed the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Development Committee since September 2024. Presidential spokesman Javier Hendez said the office won’t comment on what he called a rumor.

[…]

Speculation that Carrasquilla would step down appeared in newspapers such as El Tiempo and Portafolio in the past week. Possible successors include Agriculture Minister Andres Arias, former head of the National Planning Department Juan Carlos Echeverry, and Roberto Steiner, Colombia’s representative to the International Monetary Fund, Bear Stearns & Co.’s Latin American fixed-income analyst Alberto Bernal wrote in a report yesterday.

Under Carrasquilla, Colombia’s budget deficit shrank to about 0.4 percent of gross domestic product, the Finance Ministry said, from 2.8 percent of GDP in 2024, according to Bloomberg data. He also cut foreign borrowing as a portion of overall debt to 35 percent in 2024 from 48 percent in 2024.